


The Beautiful Ones

by JasnNCarly



Series: Lucky Spencer and His Loves [5]
Category: General Hospital
Genre: Drabble Series, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2011-12-29
Packaged: 2020-06-09 15:38:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19478923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasnNCarly/pseuds/JasnNCarly
Summary: This started as a NYE fic and took on a life of its own.





	1. Chapter 1

**~*~Paths~*~**  
  
His blue eyes searched the canvas around him, wondering how each new destination he reached could be more beautiful than the last.  
  
Adjusting the bag on his shoulder, Lucky worked his way towards the nearest café with the hint of a smile staining his chilled pink lips.   
  
The corner spot was busy, patrons of town barely glancing towards him as they continued with their New Year’s chatter.  
  
 _Two days away_.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he made a quick order and paid the cashier. The mundane action brought him some satisfaction – a peace in being unknown.  
  
The idea was short lived.  
  
 **~*~Reunion~*~**  
  
She was buried in paper work, scattered all over a corner booth as she sipped on a latte.   
  
Her dark mane with shades of auburn had grown longer, a few strands in her ways as she went about her work highlighting and notating.  
  
Lucky could’ve slipped out unnoticed, but she was beautiful chaos – a fantastic bonus to the small Alaskan town. Receiving his coffee, he blew out a heavy breath and made his approach yet had no idea what he would say.  
  
The worry was completely removed as she did a double take, her jaw dropping as she spotted him.   
  
**~*~Surprise~*~**  
  
“Claire.”  
  
The moment her name left his lips, she awarded him a sharp laugh yet never lost her shock – leaving no room for a smile or greeting back to him.  
  
Lucky signaled towards the available room, “You mind?”  
  
“Of—course.” Claire swallowed hard, beginning to clear the booth at a frantic pace.  
  
“Looks like work is keeping you busy.”  
  
“That’s—some of it.” She tried to pack up, “I was just about head out.”  
  
He understood her discomfort; it was painfully obvious their ‘awkward’ goodbye still resonated – a one night stand that never had the opportunity to become something more.  
  
 **~*~Dismissal~*~**  
  
 _“I’m leaving Port Charles so no need for goodbyes.”_  
  
Lucky could still recall her last words to him, accompanied by a forced smile. Now, reminded of her exquisiteness, he couldn’t remember why he had let her get away.  
  
He stood to his feet, “I’m sorry if I—”  
  
“No, don’t apologize.” She brought her bag onto her shoulder, a genuine smile now on her lips, “We’re good.”  
  
Lucky attempted to say more, hoping for just a second more with her, when her nervous eyes shot past him. Before he could turn around, he heard a tiny voice shout out, “Mommy!”


	2. Chapter 2

**~*~Connect~*~**  
  
Claire’s face was drained, ghost white at the call as she tried to smile her way out of the awkward meeting.  
  
Lucky sought out the voice and looked down to see a child running towards Claire, the wind knocked out of him as he took in the sight of her: brown pigtails tied with tiny blue ribbons that matched her ocean eyes.  
  
“Hey, baby!” Claire knelt down in time to catch her tiny frame within her arms and kiss her rosy cheeks, “Did you have a good time?”  
  
The girl nodded towards her mother, growing shy under his watchful eye.  
  
 **~*~Introduction~*~**  
  
Claire calmed down at the sight of her daughter, noting the change in the child’s attitude and faced her towards him, “This is my friend, Lucky.”  
  
The child avoided his eyes, playing with her mother’s eyes.  
  
Lucky felt self conscious, smoothing his shirt beneath his jacket, and offered a small smile, “That’s right, and what’s your name, pretty girl?”  
  
Claire met his eyes once more and gave a soft reply, “This is Lucy.”   
  
“Hi there, Lucy.” Lucky stepped toward them, noting the way one of Claire’s hands tightened at the action, and tilted his head until the child smiled wide.  
  
 **~*~Inquiry~*~**  
  
“How old are you, sweetie?”   
  
It was the first question to pop into his mind, a natural progression in the conversation with a child. Never did he imagine the girl’s answer would urge him to have an entirely different talk.  
  
Lucy held up three little fingers, pleased with her mother’s nervous laughter.  
  
Within two seconds, Lucky’s had done the math. Three years and nine months ago, Claire was in Port Charles – she was also in his bed.  
  
Lucky maintained a smile in an effort to calm Claire, looking into Lucy’s eyes, “Think you and Mommy could show me around town?”  
  
 **~*~Maintain~*~**  
  
As her daughter enjoyed an extra hour on the playground under their supervision, they sat on a park bench and had the conversation that neither was truly prepared for.  
  
“I wanted to tell you, include you in this, but…”  
  
Lucky turned to her, a train cloud of smoke leaving her lips as her gloved hands folded in her lap.  
  
“There was some business you were handling and, by the time I tried again, you had some woman with you then you were engaged. I—I didn’t think it’d be right to just…insert myself in whatever situation you had going on.”


	3. Chapter 3

**~*~Details~*~**  
  
“It wasn’t about my ego. The two of us—we were moving on very separate paths. You were married to someone and had the—situation with Elizabeth and your brother. I found out I was pregnant when I was settled, ready to care for Lucy on my own.”  
  
“You didn’t think she deserved a father?”  
  
Claire continued in a hushed tone, “I thought she deserved a home full of love. Something she has with me, her mother.”  
  
Lucky roped in his frustration, watching as his daughter came rushing down the slide with loud laughter reminiscent of his mother and sister.  
  
 **~*~Exchange~*~**  
  
“Besides, I don’t have many one night stands and after the mess I made…I really didn’t want to go back to Port Charles.”  
  
Sonny had gotten the best of her, something she was not proud of, and Lucky had been her solace – they had given each other an escape. But their time together ended with an awkward goodbye, nothing like the quickie marriage he had with Siobhan or the tragedy with Elizabeth.  
  
Claire had received the worst part of him, detached and unwilling to adjust; she could not return to that tiny town for an even smaller piece of him.  
  
 **~*~Keepsake~*~**  
  
His eyes sailed from their daughter and back to her, watching as the smile consumed her features and her hand waved excitedly back at her little girl.  
  
Lucky wanted to hold steadfast to his anger, yet he was quickly losing focus. Leaning back, he felt his heart knot in his chest as he looked at her once more, a wistful inquiry to Claire, “Why Lucy?”  
  
“I thought of her father.” Claire smile went crooked as she shrugged, “Then I removed a letter.” When a grin graced his lips, she sighed, “I wanted her to have some solid connection to you.”  
  
 **~*~Out~*~**  
  
“We should go.”  
  
Her announcement guided them both to a stand, forcing Lucky to think on his feet, “Why don’t I buy you and Lucy dinner?”  
  
“Believe or not, I had to learn how to cook because Lucy refused to eat just anything. We’ll be okay.”  
  
“Claire.” Her name came out louder than he intended the moment she tried to step away. When she turned back to him, Lucky decided now was not the time to plan his words and thought aloud, “I’m not—ready to let you two walk away.”  
  
She nervously checked for Lucy’s approach, nodding in agreement.


	4. Chapter 4

**~*~Palatable~*~**  
  
“Eat your veggies.” The little girl made a face, pushing her green beans around with her fork; Claire narrowed her eyes at the child, “Pinch your nose, if you have to.”  
  
Lucy did as told, using her fingers to grab a couple like they were French fries and shove them into her mouth – the opposite hand pinching her nostrils.  
  
He watched the exchange with a small smile, fascinated by every action the child performed, bit or small. After an afternoon with her, Lucky recognized features distinct to her personality and others familiar to his family – a Spencer in the making.  
  
 **~*~Excuse~*~**  
  
“All right, looks like you finished most of it.” Claire stood from her seat, taking her daughter’s hand, “Let’s go get you changed.”  
  
Once they had left the room, Lucky decided to busy himself with the dishes. It was a welcome distraction from the headache he had, a nervous reaction to the information overload he was on. Claire had a daughter, their daughter, and she was perfect.  
  
Lucky cleared dishes, placing them in the dishwasher before catching a glimpse of the pictures decorating the fridge door.   
  
One colored picture detailed a huge smiling sun overlooking two stick figures picking flowers.  
  
 **~*~Lack~*~**  
  
Identifying the two stick as females, a triangle serving as their dresses, he noted the visible absence of a male figure – his child absent of a father.  
  
Lucky thought of Lucy and the boys; they needed a piece of him that he was unsure he could supply – fearful he would do to them what his parents did to him.   
  
Lucy was like her brothers, energy for every task with rare pause even when she was out of breath. There were some tiny things she did differently, consistently checking her hair and dancing like a ballerina when she had the chance.  
  
 **~*~Quiet~*~**  
  
Claire winced each time she had to tug a little on the comb journeying through Lucy’s hair, overjoyed the movie distracted the child; however, the comb got tangled on its last trip.  
  
As the girl began to whine, Lucky noted Claire’s panic; he moved to a seat beside Lucy, pointing towards the screen, “I’ve never seen this. Who is that on the TV?”  
  
“Shrek!” The little girl laughed, shocked he didn’t know, and pointed toward the screen, “That’s Donkey.”  
  
Lucky snuck a look back at Claire who gave him a pleased yet cautious grin; their fear clearly shared – _what now?_


	5. Chapter 5

**~*~Chit-Chat~*~**  
  
“It was terrible because I was so sure the birth had to be natural…since it would probably be my only shot at it. I waited so long that I missed the window of opportunity for an epidural.” Claire cringed at her own ramblings, clearly eased by her second glass of wine, “Are you sure you wanna hear about this?”  
  
“I want to hear about—everything I missed.” Lucky filled the paused with a sip of his coffee, releasing a small smile, “What was her first word?”  
  
“Um…a curse word.” She laughed at Lucky’s widened blue eyes, “Not my proudest moment.”  
  
 **~*~Niceties~*~**  
  
“If we look past that bump in road, Lucy’s first word was mama.”   
  
Lucky watched her change in mood, noting a hint of guilt in her tone, and urged her to move on, “I hope you don’t feel like I’m prying.”  
  
“Not at all. Frankly, I’m happy you’re not losing your mind over all of this.” Claire waited for his assurance that he bared no ill will; when he didn’t, she set her glass on the coffee table and leaned forward, “I don’t regret what I’ve done. I just hope you can appreciate the life I’ve made for our daughter.”  
  
 **~*~Truth~*~**  
  
“I want to know where we go from here.”  
  
Lucky wanted her to give him direction, suggest the ‘right’ answer; instead, she did what she always did and threw the questions back to him.  
  
Claire reached for her glass once more, her hand slight shaking as she did so, “What do you want to do?” Her question made him shift uncomfortably in his seat, “Could you see yourself settling down somewhere?”  
  
He met her eyes, clearly debating his answer.  
  
“Lucy and I are fine as long as we don’t set up unrealistic expectations about her father.”  
  
“You mean about me.”  
  
 **~*~Breakdown~*~**  
  
“Lucky, you hurt me. Whether you meant to or not, it happened. You can’t expect me to just forget that and – ignore the possibility that my daughter could go through the exact same thing.”  
  
“I don’t know how you answer Lucy when she asks about me, but I don’t want it to be a lie. If I had known her about her, I—“  
  
“What? You can’t even be around your sons in Port Charles!” Claire’s attack surprised them both, her eyes flickering with remorseful tears as she defiantly crossed her arms, “You will not change our lives…just to disappear.”


	6. Chapter 6

**~*~Tackle~*~**  
  
Their conversation had ended with abrupt aggravation, an angry end to a beautiful day that happens once in a lifetime – the day he was reunited with someone special and met his child.  
  
It had been enough to motivate him to fly home, confront many issues he had avoided and raced away from in fear of truth as well as disappointment.   
  
However, as he saw Elizabeth approaching with the boys, Lucky had no idea how he'd left his lifeline – opening his arms as one son reached out to him and the other hugged his waist – both unwilling to release him again.  
  
 **~*~Reservation~*~**  
  
“I know I may not be the one to say anything because I’ve done more than my share; but they need you, Lucky. I’m not their father, and that’s what they want more than anything in this world. Tell me you’re going to stay here…even if it’s just a month or—a couple weeks.”  
  
Her plea echoed Claire’s sentiments, the cry for stability regarding their children; Lucky felt a flash of doubt and received a wave from Cameron on the playground – a flash of Lucy’s similar playful movement fresh in his mind.  
  
“Elizabeth…I plan to say in Port Charles, permanently.”  
  
 **~*~Homebody~*~**  
  
“What brought this all on, cowboy? Back to being domesticated.”   
  
Lucky chuckled at his father’s not-so-subtle criticism as he continued to tidy his home, the boys asleep in their room, “Things happen, Dad. I needed to wake up.”  
  
“It’s been a month now. You haven’t said anything about what something or someone who brought on this urge to return to the townie lifestyle.”  
  
“Some of us don’t need a gun held to our heads to realize being a father is a blessing not a curse.” Lucky snapped, sighing at Luke’s wounded eyes, and softened his tone, “There is…something, a someone.”  
  
 **~*~Send Off~*~**  
  
Luke’s eyes were slight glazed with prideful tears as he stared at the picture, “She’s beautiful.”  
  
Lucky smiled, thoughtful as he proceeded, “I can’t expect for Claire to let me into Lucy’s life – for good – without showing her some kind of grounding.”  
  
“You think by doing that, Claire’s going to let you see her?”  
  
“She won’t fight me if I get this right.”  
  
Luke handed the picture back to him, cautious in his next inquiry, “Is it to see Lucy…or is there a little hope that there’s a package deal? That if Lucy comes here, so will her beautiful mama.”


	7. Chapter 7

**~*~Bluff~*~**  
  
She hadn’t expected the call; in fact, it terrified her.  
  
“Lucy and I could get to know each other. Carly even agreed to put you up at the Metro Court for a week so—no confusion about expectations. I’d just—like to know her.”  
  
Claire opened her mouth to respond, only to have him continue to cut her off.  
  
“And you again, if you’ll let me.”  
  
She glanced over her shoulder, watching as her daughter colored alone and smiling at the thought of her running with Lucky’s son.  
  
“Just this once?”  
  
“Looks like we’ll be vacationing in Port Charles soon.”  
  
 **~*~Instinct~*~**  
  
Claire led Lucy up the ramp, expecting her daughter to continue with her questions even as she clutched her mother’s hand.  
  
However, as they entered the airport, she felt the tiny grip completely leave her hand as the little girl called out, “Lucky!”  
  
She couldn’t move; her feet felt like they were cemented to the ground as she watched Lucy jump into his awaiting arms. Her heart could hardly take the weight of guilt, shame, and slight jealousy of the two as they greeted each other.   
  
As they turned to face her again, Claire forced a smile and approached them.  
  
 **~*~Drive~*~**  
  
“I’m glad you two decided to make the trip.”  
  
“I’m not sure a certain someone let us have much of a choice.” Claire had no clue how to let her defenses down, especially as it came to Lucky. Whenever she began to hope with him, she was crushed in the fall.  
  
“You will always have a choice with me, Claire.” Lucky peeled his eyes from the road, momentarily meeting hers, “I’m not like some other men you’ve known.”  
  
“My choice is the least of my concerns. Know that now. It’s all about what’s best.”  
  
“That’s what I hope to prove.”  
  
 **~*~Subtle~*~**  
  
“When you said dinner, I thought we’d be eating at the Metro Court.”  
  
Lucky continued to move in the kitchen, “I figured I’d show I gained some skills.”  
  
After a glance at Lucy who watched Shrek for the umpteenth time, she examined the dirty counter, “A gourmet meal which includes boxed macaroni and cheese. How could any girl possibly resist?”  
  
“I’m hoping not-a-one.”   
  
Claire watched as he stirred the concoction, frightened by how easy it felt; the last thing she needed to do was get her hopes up.   
  
“Once you’ve tasted this mac’ n cheese, you’ll have to come home.”  
  
 **~*~Stay~*~**  
  
She hoped at night’s end she had the sense to deny him.  
  
“Before you leave, there’s something I gotta show you.”   
  
Lucky’s announcement threw her off as she fully expected Lucy’s deep slumber to prompt ‘the’ request; instead, he took her head and showed her around the apartment.  
  
His gestures were quick to his room, to the boys’, but he allowed her to open the last door; cautious, Claire gave in and entered the room.  
  
The room was thick with greens and blues, dolls lining and otherwise bare dresser; a large Shrek doll seated on top of a flowered comforter.


	8. Chapter 8

**~*~Little Talk~*~**  
  
“Lucky, this is beautiful.”  
  
His effort had the perfect effect as Claire wandered into the room, taking the Shrek doll into her arms as she took a seat on the small bed.  
  
He proceeded with caution, small footsteps, “I can make any changes you suggest, immediately. Lucy too. I want her to feel comfortable with me and the boys.”  
  
Claire’s brown eyes bounced around the room, tears glossing her gaze, “…it’s really kinda of perfect the way it is.” She leaned the doll back in her lap, fidgeting with its clothes as she sighed, “But it’s—fast...for all of us.”  
  
 **~*~Requirements~*~**  
  
“It doesn’t have to be.”  
  
Claire gave him a dismissive look at this, clearly doubtful that he could be patient.  
  
“We could both benefit from time, getting to know each other again, and Lucy could gradually get to know her brothers – know me. I could become more of a partner to you with her upbringing, even financial needs.”  
  
“You think I need your help with that?”  
  
“No, but I need you to know whatever you need or want…I want to provide. For you and our Lucy.”  
  
Claire’s eyes shut at his statement, uncertain and uncomfortable.  
  
“Just give me a chance.”  
  
 **~*~Boys~*~**  
  
“Guess I wasn’t sure how they’d all respond to each other.”  
  
Claire and Lucky watched on as Cameron assisted his brother and sister around the park, the three bubbling with laughter as they moved around; Claire’s heart soared at the sight of her daughter’s happiness – the way she naturally fit in with a welcoming family.  
  
“It doesn’t look like she’ll want to stick with just me anymore. You know, us against the world?” The laugh tasted slight sweet among her bitterness, questions and doubts about her decision, until she felt his hand slide into hers.  
  
“It’s all of us now.”  
  
 **~*~Patterns~*~**  
  
“You have to give me a minute to adjust!” Claire’s outburst caused him to take a step back, the two nearly deadlocked about Lucy’s daycare, “I’m not used to someone else having an opinion about where my daughter is every day, the school she attends, the kinds of movies she can watch, all of this was me!”   
  
“I was trying to help. If that’s not the way you want to do this, that’s fine.”  
  
“That’s not the point, Lucky! The point is I’ve completely uprooted my life to return to a town I hate so you can have a say!”  
  
 **~*~Restart~*~**  
  
“I didn’t think you’d show up after last night.” Claire mumbled, awkwardly zipping her sweatshirt up.  
  
Lucky offered a weak smile, “I wanted you both in Port Charles for a reason. One was Lucy; the other was to get a second chance with you.”  
  
Claire felt embarrassed by her behavior during their argument, “You can’t really mean that.”  
  
Lucky’s fingers gently cupped her chin, forcing her to look into his blue eyes, “I mean every word.” When he sealed the words with a soft kiss, she could only smile at his next question, “Are we going out or ordering delivery?”  
  


**_The End_ **


End file.
